Tender Rain
by wooster182
Summary: Starts about five years after graduation. What happens when their worlds have been turned upside down? Can they find their ways back home? Naley, Leyton drama, BrookeOC? Please R and R!
1. Times have changed

Notes: This is primarily Naley, Leyton drama, and will have a Brooke relationship, but it might be with an original character. It takes Mark Schwan's plan of fast-forwarding the show about five years after graduation. Some spoilers for Season 4. Please read and review. Thanks!

Chapter 1

"Lucas, I can barely hear you," Haley said into her cell phone, covering her other ear with her finger to better understand her friend.

"I have a reading in Raleigh next weekend, Hales," he said. "I want you to be there."

She shifted her weight. "I don't know, Luke. We're really busy right now."

He shut his eyes. He was losing her. "C'mon, we haven't seen each other in three months. I miss you, Haley."

She smiled even though he could not see it. She envisioned his straightened hair and bloodshot eyes, tired from writing on his laptop all day. Writers. Sighing, she said, "Okay, I'll go. To see you and that's all."

He paused for a second, leaving a still silence creep between them. "Fine. I've bought an apartment here in Raleigh. You can stay with me."

Sniffling back tears, she said, "Good. I'm excited to see your new place. You'll have to autograph your book for me."

"I can't wait to see you." He could hear her pain on the other end of the line and hated himself for manipulating her into coming. He knew what else was in Raleigh next weekend, and he knew that she knew as well. He had to push. "I love you, Hales."

She wiped her hand across her forehead, forgetting about her makeup. "I love you, too, Luke."

As she hung up the phone, she looked into the mirror. She did not recognize this old face staring back at her. She was only twenty-four, but she was fairly certain she already had frown lines. Dark circles loomed under her eyes that she tried to hide with makeup. What was more disconcerting was that no one seemed to notice how unhealthy she looked.

The music pulsating on stage showered around her.

She looked down at her left hand.

It was bare of any rings.

She gasped as someone came from the darkness, wrapping long arms around her. "How's my favorite star?" he asked.

"Still having stage fright," she said. Her lips curled into a small smile as she folded his arms with her own. She liked the feel of his body next to hers, but it was not the same. It did not feel like it did when she was younger.

"You've won a Grammy, Haley," he said. "I think it's time to stop being nervous."

She turned around and kissed him softly on the lips. "I'll feel much better once you're on stage with me, Jake."

……………………………………

"_This is the happiest day of my life, Haley. We're going to have a baby." Nathan whispered as he kissed Haley in the rain. Tender drops fell around them, caressing them, warming them until all either knew was the love of each other. _

"_Love me, Nathan."_

_He smiled. "Always and forever."_

_A baby began crying. The rain fell harder, beating down on them, pounding their bodies. Haley cried out for him, reaching for his hands, but neither could find their lover._

_The cry was louder and shriller until only Nathan's head throbbed. "He's dead, Nate. Our baby is dead."_

_Blackness._

"No!" Nathan jumped, almost falling out of his king-size bed. His heart thrashed in his chest, sweat trickling down towards his stomach. He looked over at the body next to his. She had yet to stir from a deep, sex-induced sleep. He could barely breathe. This had been the second nightmare he had this week about Haley's miscarriage.

He stood up, naked, and headed for the bathroom. It had been five years ago when she had lost their son, but it still felt like only hours had passed. They had loved each other so much, but were too distraught to look at each other, let alone touch each other for months. Finally, one final blowup dissolved the marriage, two months into their freshman year of college. Nathan stayed at Stanford to play ball. Haley left to tour. He had not seen her since.

He could still smell her sweetness when he stood in the rain. He could see her smile when he walked on a pier. He still dreamt of her every night.

Splashing water on his face from the sink, he looked up into the mirror. His handsome face had only improved with age. His jaw was more defined and his blue eyes were bright and enhanced by his coal-black hair. His body was even leaner and more muscular. But all he saw when he looked into a mirror was tears. He looked tired.

He dried off his face, cursing underneath his breath. He was in the NBL now, playing for the New York Nicks. And he had a big game next weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina.

He had promised Lucas that he would go to his book reading. Nathan knew his brother well enough to surmise that Luke had invited Haley as well. He had been harping for their reunion ever since they parted. Nathan sometimes hated to see him. It only reminded him of Haley and the baby.

He heard footsteps padding towards him. He smiled, needing the distraction.

"Baby, are you all right?" she asked as she entered the bathroom. It was too dark to see him, so she sucked in air when he put his hands on her hips, pushing her towards the door jam.

"I am now," he growled. He bent his head down to nip at her neck. She sighed with growing passion as she lifted her hips suggestively into his.

"Are you sure?" she asked. He could hear the need for reassurance in her gravelly voice.

He licked at her lips, then said, "Brooke, let's go to bed and I'll show you how fine I am."

"Pretty cocky of you. Going around telling people how fine you are," she whispered into his ear, never realizing he had told Haley the same thing a very long time ago.

He froze. When he looked down at Brooke, he saw Haley looking back up at him. He blinked furiously until Brooke came back into vision. Nathan kissed her hard, then picked her up and hauled her back to bed.

TBC


	2. What the hell happened?

Notes: I am so sorry that this took forever. School just gets in the way. LOL. Anyway, there are a lot of flashbacks in this chapter, so just warning a head of time in order to hopefully quell confusion. I tried to make the chapter longer. Thanks for taking the time to read it and/or review. Any comments are helpful! Here it is…

Chapter 2

"What do you mean she's on a plane to LA? She's supposed to be on TRL in two hours!" Peyton said into her cell phone, scurrying down a corridor of the MTV New York office building. She had quickly worked her way up to assistant producer of the show. "Sean Paul is in town this week. Get him on the phone and beg him to stop by the studio," she said right before she clicked the phone shut.

She was in her small office now, shutting the door behind her. Music posters and various pieces of her artwork hung around the room. Hers was the most decorated office on the floor. She dropped into her leather chair, her blonde curls bouncing off of her shoulders. Her stomach twisted with hunger. It was time for lunch, but she was too tired to move.

The click of the door made her jump. It had been five years since the stalker had tried to kill her, but part of her was still terrified of dark nights and empty rooms. She didn't think that would ever go away. Looking up to see who entered the office, she smiled.

"Hi, friend."

………………………………

Haley sipped at her morning coffee while she sat on the hotel balcony of their suite in Seattle. It had rained only hours before, blanketing the city in a deep grey from her viewpoint. It was chilly, but she hugged to Jake's large flannel jacket. Their concert the night before had been a success and was well-reviewed by the critics that next morning.

Jake. She still wasn't sure how she first came to kiss him. After she had left Nathan and Stanford, she had gone back on tour. But she had lost a lot of the momentum she had created her first tour. If she wanted to break out, the execs had told her that she would need a partner. She had called Peyton for advice, and Peyton mentioned Jake. He was reluctant because he did not want to leave Jenny in Georgia, but he also knew he had a chance to make a good life for both of them.

So, he accepted Haley's offer. Their deep, melodic voices harmonized to swoon crowds nationwide, and soon they had gone platinum. They were stars and at that time, still just friends. They stayed friends for three years until last year. She would never forget how it had happened…

They were having an interview with _Rolling Stone_. It was going to be a cover story. Everything was fine, until the reporter asked, "Records show that you were married for a brief stint in high school. Would you care to talk about how the dissolution of that marriage has affected your music?"

Haley's jaw had dropped. She knew that people would eventually start asking about her marriage, but she never wanted to talk about why it ended; she could not bear to even speak her baby's name without the tears coming.

Jake saw the pain and said, "I think all artists use their lives and loves to express themselves through music. Sometimes that's easier to do in the notes than in words."

The interviewer looked at him, impressed. He asked a few more questions, then had left.

Jake put his arm around her shoulder. "Haley, are you okay?"

She had buried her head into his neck and wept. They had sat in the silence of the hotel room, listening to each other breathe. A tear rolled down Jake's cheek. He could not imagine his life without Jenny, and he knew the loss of first love when he had lost Peyton three times. He wished he could take Haley's pain and make it his own. He wanted to release that burden from her.

"I know it hurts, Haley. And I know that it won't go away. But I'll be here for you."

She looked up into his big, brown eyes. She had known then that he knew what she was feeling. She had never been sure if Nathan had ever known, even when they first fell in love. Without thinking, she had reached up and kissed him and his lips had been open, ready for hers. The kiss was chaste and tender. There were no propositions or teasing between them.

They had waited a week before they kissed again. It had been seven days later, a Friday when he got the nerve to ask her out. And at the end of that date, he had kissed her, again tenderly and purely. They had waited eight months before they were ever intimate. They longed for each other's friendship more than anything physical.

Haley looked into their hotel suite now, stealing a glance at Jake, only a white sheet tangled around his waist as he slept on his stomach. She had the urge to run her fingers through his messy chestnut hair and rub her cheek across his stubble.

He was sexy and strong. But not in the same way Nathan had been. Nathan was lean. His black hair was so stunning against his pale skin. He had always reminded her of dipping Oreos in a tall glass of milk. Combined with those eyes that looked like the blue flames from a hot fire, one look at him made a woman catch her breath. Jake was stockier and shorter. His tone was more honey like hers. A woman would certainly turn her head when he walked past, but she would probably still be breathing. It was that attitude Nathan had that was so addictive, that vulnerability hidden beneath cocky confidence. She could still see his face when he made that winning free throw in high school without even looking at the hoop. It was that look, that attitude that sucked a woman in.

She had been able to avoid seeing Nathan for four years. Touring helped her do that. She knew that he would be at Lucas' book reading, and she had fallen into it. Haley wondered why she finally agreed to be in the same room with him.

She didn't notice that she was rubbing her stomach.

……………………………

"Hi, friend."

Peyton smiled at the woman at the door. Waving her inside, she said, "Hey, Brooke. Is that food you got there?"

Brooke sat the two bags of Chinese carryout onto Peyton's desk. "Sure is, Buddy. Figured you were too busy or tired to go out."

Peyton sighed. "Oh, Brooke, you're a godsend."

Brooke smiled, lifting her eyes to the ceiling as she often did. "Well, I've been telling you that for years, Peyton E. Sawyer."

Peyton tingled with relief. She had missed Brooke. A lot. Brooke was her band-aid when they were growing up, helping her heal through her mother's death. But she had become more than that. They were sisters, best friends. The one thing she could not forgive herself for was hurting Brooke.

But, six months ago, their friendship got a reprieve. Peyton was making connections at a MTV Music Awards after-party when she heard an upcoming model praising _Hoes Over Bro's_. She heard two familiar voices thanking the woman. It had been Nathan and Brooke. One look between her and Brooke was all it took. The four years of bitterness and distrust melted. They were finally mature enough to forgive each other, to accept each other as they were. The two had been inseparable ever since.

"So, are you going to Luke's reading next weekend?" Brooke asked, stirring Peyton from her thoughts.

"I'm going to try. I'd like to stop by and see Whitey and my dad before I go back to New York." Peyton pushed her chopsticks through their packaging and grabbed a box of noodles.

"Hot Larry is home?" Brooke asked, her eyebrows raised in excitement.

"Down, girl. You have Nathan, remember?" Peyton smiled as Brooke calmed down. She looked at her sweet and sour chicken, saying, "Speaking of the basketball wonder, are you going to Luke's reading?"

Brooke's fork stopped in mid-air between her mouth and its box. Haley flashed through her mind. She had not seen Haley since she and Nathan became a couple ten months ago. She missed her friend but she now better understood why Peyton had risked their relationship for Lucas in high school. "We're all going to have to see each other some time. Probably better now than before we all get too serious, but I don't think I can yet. There's so much drama between all of still, you know?"

Peyton furrowed her brows. "All? Are you and Nathan going the threesome route?"

Brooke laughed softly, but inwardly cringed at bringing it up. "Haley is dating Jake. I'm sorry you heard it from me, Peyton."

Peyton shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just didn't know." But it wasn't okay. She had often wondered what would have happen if she hadn't left Georgia, if she had married Jake. Telling Lucas she loved him had turned out to be a mistake. Luke didn't feel the same way and she had lost Jake.

Peyton blinked to focus herself. "So, tell me again how you and Nathan became you and Nathan. That's one coupling I never saw coming."

Brooke shifted in her chair. "Believe me, I was the last one to see it coming. It just happened." She loved being with Nathan, but she hated the thought that it might hurt Haley. She never meant for it to happen. After graduation, Brooke was alone. She didn't have Lucas. Or Peyton. So she followed Nathan and Haley to Stanford. She had been there the day Haley lost the baby. She had never witnessed anything so heartbreaking. A part of her heart had died that day, and she knew that a part of Nathan and Haley's had as well. The day Haley left, she had asked Brooke to watch over Nathan.

"I can't do that, Haley. He needs _you_, he needs his wife," Brooke had said.

"I'm not his wife anymore. I can't be. We can't look into each other's eyes without seeing our loss. You're the only part of home he has once I leave," Haley said, holding Brooke's hands tightly in desperation.

Brooke had seen the pain in Haley's face and agreed to do it, but she had no idea how to. So, she had set out to help them both, Nathan by being there and helping Haley because she couldn't be there. Nathan and Brooke got closer every year.

And then it happened one night. They had gotten drunk together after watching a couple movies in her off-campus apartment. She had said, "So, you never told me about that dream you had of me naked." Brooke was just being playful as usual. She had developed feelings over the years while they were alone in California together, but she never planned on acting on them.

Nathan swayed, setting down an empty bottle of beer. Laughing in that stern way of his, he said, "Well, I was Lucas and in the shower. You were in the shower, too."

She had leaned closer in. "And what did you do about it?"

He blinked a couple of times as he tried to rein his mind back to the dream. "I ran."

Her long, dark hair swooshed around her neck as she giggled. "Now that doesn't sound like Nathan Scott."

"That's because I was Lucas Scott," he slurred.

"Then that explains everything!" she said, waving her arm in affirmation.

"I'm sorry to bring up Lucas," Nathan said, looking down at his hands.

Brooke's lips turned into a sad smile. "It's okay. It's over now for good. It has been for a long time."

"Do you miss him?" Neither noticed how close they were sitting together on the couch now. Nathan's face was so close to Brooke's that she could smell his warm cologne.

She tilted her head as she thought. "I miss him as a friend. I haven't thought of him as "the one" for a really long time."

Nathan moved a hare closer. He whispered, "Do you think of someone else?"

Brooke's heart puttered in her chest. She had not even noticed what was happening. She couldn't allow herself to believe that he may actually feel for her what she did for him. Without wanting to say too much, she replied, "Have someone in mind?"

He nodded. His breath fluttered over her hot skin as he said, "Yeah, I do." His lips brushed over hers so lightly that she almost hadn't felt the kiss. Almost. Her neck flushed with desire and longing, her belly tangling in butterflies. She nudged her head up to encourage his lips to return. He paused for just a second, then lifted his hand to her neck and kissed her fully. When Brooke's tongue tickled the crest of his upper lip, he moaned and deepened the kiss until he started to lean her back on the couch.

She had handfuls of his button-down shirt, but realization swam through her mind when her shoulders hit the cushions. Pushing him up, she had said, "I want this, but not when we're drunk. It's not fair to any of this if it's not what we want."

He was panting and could barely comprehend her words. "I do want this."

Brooke thought her eyes would roll back into her head from the pleasure of him saying that, but she stayed firm. "I want to make sure you still want it tomorrow."

So they had waited for sobriety. And the feelings were still there. The next night while eating pizza, they threw down their slices onto the table. When they reached each other, he put his hand on the small of her back, pushing her tightly to him as their lips met and stayed. They tripped over the couch and coffee table he led her into her bedroom. The next morning was awkward but dizzying. Both wanted more from the other, more comfort and more love. They had been together ever since.

"Brooke, are you ever going to answer me?" Peyton asked, smashing her fortune cookie. "How did you and Nathan hook up?"

Brooke looked around the room, remembering where she was. She often went into a daze when she thought about Nathan. Her eyes blurred with tears at the memory of how they got together. She was worried that she had him on borrowed time. That he and Haley would realize that they were meant to be. Part of her hoped for their happiness if that is what was supposed to happen, but that other nagging part was afraid that she would lose them both if they went back to each other, that her feelings for Nathan would never go away and she would be hurt by another of the Scott brood.

She glanced up at Peyton. "We, uh, were wasted and kissed. Then we got straight and kissed again. Some story, huh?"

Peyton smiled. "I think there's more to the story than that."

Brooke's forehead wrinkled. "Why? I told you the basics?"

Peyton leaned over her desk to say, "Because after Haley, Nathan isn't going to kiss just anyone."

TBC


	3. Writer's Block and Player's Got Game

Notes: I know this took forever, but even my Christmas break has been crazy. Go figure! I hope this chapter is worth the wait. I know some of you are a bit uncomfortable with the Brathan, but we'll have to get through it to get to the happy ending. Oh, and if you haven't seen S4 yet, there might be some slight spoilers. Here it is…

Chapter 3

Lucas turned on some music in his apartment and sat down at his laptop on the desk to write. He blinked at the blank screen for a good ten minutes before he cursed, running his fingers through his styled blonde hair.

He had not been able to write anything for days.

He was not sure where the writer's block was coming from, but he thought a lot of it was from nerves. His first and only book was about to be sold for mass consumption and his first reading was in four days. The rest of his life rested on this book and this weekend.

This weekend. He was hoping that he had done the right thing by inviting both Nathan and Haley. He was also hoping that they both weren't dumb enough to bring their current partners. He wasn't sure he was ready to see Nathan and Brooke together, so he doubted Haley would be able to stand it. And he could just see Peyton and Nathan's face when Haley walked in with Jake.

A darkness sank to the bottom of his gut. He had really screwed up this time.

He just wanted them both to be happy again and he knew they never would be without each other.

Standing up, he stretched, his shirt rising over his still thin, flat stomach. He walked over to the refrigerator, grabbing the jug of milk. He drank straight from it and sat it down on the table so he could drink some more in a couple minutes.

He walked around his kitchen, just looking. He sucked in a long breath, relieved at the thought that his uncle Keith would have been happy with what he had become. He skin was jumping at the thought that he was going to see Keith's little daughter, his mom's daughter, in four days. She was five years old now and Sarah Scott had Keith's smile. He delighted in seeing his mother and his sister together. They were happy and he could see it in every breath they took.

Lucas glanced at his laptop again. At that moment, he hated it and contemplated throwing it out the window and letting it fall five stories to the unforgiving sidewalk.

He sighed with relief when he heard the doorbell. Any distraction was a blessing. He made his way to the front door and smiled as he opened it.

"Hey, Mouth. Good thing you're here. You just saved my computer from certain death."

Mouth chuckled as he stepped through the doorway, shifting the weight of his leather messenger bag. "Having writer's block?"

"The size of a freaking elephant," Lucas said, heading back towards the kitchen. "You want anything to drink, man?"

"I could take some coffee. I'll need caffeine for a tutoring session tonight." Mouth sat his bag on a couch and followed his friend to the kitchen.

"A teacher's job is never done, right?" Lucas said, turning back to give Mouth a teasing smile.

"Something like that." Mouth was in his second year of teaching communication at a private school in Raleigh. He loved his job and he was glad to be in the same city of at least one of his old friends. He had changed a lot in the last five years. Having grown about a foot after high school, he was now almost as tall as Lucas. His hair was cut close to his head instead of in spikes and looked soft and natural. He wore thin, wire glasses and a uniform suit for school. He had become a handsome man.

"So, are you excited about Friday?" Mouth asked, blowing on the coffee Luke had just given him.

"Terrified might be a better word. I've never opened myself up like this, Mouth. I've played basketball for hundreds of people, but I never showed my soul like this."

"Sure you have. It was just a different part of your soul." Mouth drank from his coffee, remembering how Lucas used to play. It was like watching poetry.

Lucas looked down into his own coffee. Mouth stopped by often, but he knew that he had a reason this time. "What are you wanting to say, Mouth?"

Mouth paused, his mouth open. His friend was always intuitive. "What are you trying to do, Luke? You're manipulating your friends. Our friends."

Lucas sighed. "I just want them to be happy."

"What if they are happy?"

"They can't be! Haley with Jake? Nate and Brooke?"

Mouth took another drink of his coffee. He had learned from teaching how to pull faces and make people tell him the truth. "Is this about Nathan and Haley, or is it about Brooke?"

Lucas let out a breath incredulously. "Me and Brooke have been done a long time. I'd be ridiculous to try and get her back."

Mouth just stared at him with an understanding look.

Lucas took a deep breath. "I'm ridiculous, huh?"

Mouth laughed softly. "You're not ridiculous. I know how hard it is to get over Brooke Davis. Believe me."

Lucas paced around the kitchen. "I really do want Nate and Hales to be happy."

"I know, Luke. But you have to let them all figure this out on their own. If they're meant to be together, they will be." It was quiet in the room for a second, then Mouth said, "And if you're meant to be with Brooke, you will be, too." Lucas had no idea how painful that was for Mouth to say.

…………………………………………

"Where was your head at today, man? We're playing the Bulls in five days," Nathan's teammate asked as he stripped off his sweaty shirt in the locker-room.

"Sorry, Danny. I'll have game on Sunday. We'll kick their ass." They slapped hands, then Danny headed for the showers.

Nathan shut his locker with a sigh. He didn't tell his friend where his head really was. It was in Tree Hill. It was with Haley.

He was listening to her latest song on his Ipod. No one knew he did that before and after every practice and each time he worked out and ran. Brooke had no idea.

Brooke. She had helped him so much over the last five years. They were so much alike and he was grateful for her, but he knew he did not love her as he did Haley. Nate did not think he could ever love anyone as he loved Haley, as he still loved Haley.

But Brooke was great. She had understood his pain and loss. She never pushed him when he was grieving. She was just there for him. Brooke had been the first person he had slept with since Haley. He had waited for years, hoping that Haley would come back, come home but was too afraid to go after her again himself, to fight for her. After that last fight, he was sure she hated him, hated him as much as he had hated himself. His thoughts drifted back to that day, those last moments.

_They were eating dinner in silence in their dorm room. Again. They had not spoken in days, not since they got a baby shower gift in the mail from someone who had not heard about the death. _

"_Would you hand me the salt?" Nathan asked, anxious for her to finally speak to him, but nervous to hear her._

_Haley dropped her fork onto her plate with a clang. "Is my cooking not good enough for you now?"_

_Anger boiled to the surface. He was not going to leave the room this time. Pushing his plate away from him, he slid his chair back. "If you want to fight, just do it, Haley."_

_She lifted her hand to her chest. "I want to fight? What the hell about you? You don't speak to me. You don't even look at me."_

_Nathan could feel tears stinging his eyes when he heard her voice break. He wanted to hug her, to tell her everything would be all right. But it wouldn't be. He knew that. "I'm not the only one, Haley. We don't kiss. We can't even make love anymore. Why can't we find light, Haley?" A tear rolled down his cheek. "Why can't we make this better?"_

"_Because you killed our son!" she shouted. She was holding her stomach so tightly that her fingernails dug into her skin. Strands of hair clung to her wet cheeks as she wept. _

_He could barely breathe. He had been afraid for those two months that she blamed him as he blamed himself. Tears fell like rain from his eyes. "I didn't want you to get hurt. I didn't want the baby to get hurt."_

"_But we did! You sold your soul, Nathan, and our baby paid for it." The doctors had originally thought after the car accident that everything would be all right, but the baby had too much damage that wasn't caught until it was too late. _

"_If that's how you feel, then why are you staying?" He threw the plate of food at the wall, more out of anger for himself than for Haley. "Why don't you go?"_

_Haley shrieked as the plate broke. She looked back at him, her eyes cold and resentful. He knew with that look that it was over. "I am going." _

_He sucked in a breath. He had known it was coming, but the pain of those words was unbearable. Nathan wanted his words to hurt as much as hers had, even though that about killed him, too. "Then run, Haley. It's what your good at."_

_She stormed into their bedroom, packed some clothes and left for Brooke's._

It was the last time they saw each other.

He could not even describe how it felt when he had turned on the news and heard from a cheery reporter that Jake and Haley were a couple. He and Brooke had only been dating for two months. It was then he decided to actually try with Brooke, more than he had. He had kissed her first looking for support, but with that news, he wanted to kiss her then to start over, to maybe love again.

Looking around the locker-room, he noticed that he had become so wrapped in his owned thoughts that everyone else had left. He put on his shoes, and headed towards the door.

"Hey, baby," Brooke said as she rushed up to him, jumping into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Nathan laughed as he kissed her. She was so energetic that it made him feel like he still had some energy, too. The hall was empty and silent except for them. He twirled them around until her back faced the wall. He pushed her up against it and deepened the kiss. Nudging her with his hips, he simultaneously dipped his head to kiss her neck softly. She tilted her head back to let him kiss her, moaning when his tongue grazed her skin.

She ran her fingers through his hair and down his neck. "Okay, down, boy. Before this becomes public indecency."

"Come on, Brooke," he said, kissing her again before he set her down. "When have you ever been for public decency?"

Chuckling, she twisted the front of his shirt between her fingers. "When I realized how much I love you."

They both looked at each other stupidly. Brooke had not planned on saying it. She had kept that hidden for a few months and was surprised that it slipped out now so naturally.

Nathan certainly had not expected it. They had been so into the moment that he was stunned at the announcement.

"I'm so sorry, Nate," she said. "I didn't mean to say it."

"Did you mean it?" His voice was quiet as he looked down at her. He was still trying to catch his breath.

She felt like crying. She was afraid that she had just lost him. But she had promised herself that she would never lie to him. With watering eyes, she said, "Yes."

He put his head on her shoulder and hugged her tightly. He lifted his head just enough that they could see each other. They were so close that their breath mingled. "Oh, Brooke," he said, stroking her hair. "I care so much about you, but I can't tell you that yet. And I don't want to lie to you."

"I know," she said, panting with relief. "I'll wait for you."

They kissed again, smiling. Then he took her hand in his as they started to move towards the exit.

"Hurry back home as fast as you can this weekend, buddy," she said. "After a kiss like that, I'll be _Brooking_ myself until you get home."

"What are you talking about, Brooke?" he asked, his forehead wrinkling. "You're coming to Raleigh with me. You never miss a game." He tugged her closer to him.

Her hair swayed as she turned her head up to look at him. "I can't go to North Carolina with you. What about Lucas and Haley?"

"What about Luke? It's been five years and he started dating Peyton like a month after you broke up," he said, taking his keys out of his pocket. "And Haley. I don't want to hurt her, Brooke, but I don't think I can go through seeing her without you."

She took a deep breath, then smiled at him. "Well, let's take the car instead of flying."

He kissed the top of her head. She was always there. "Why?"

Brooke bounced in front of him happily. "Because we'll have several hours to fool around in a car, and trust me, I know my way around a car."

He raised his eyebrows as he laughed. "I like the way you think."

TBC


End file.
